The production of cement and concrete are well known in the art. Concrete has many uses that are highly beneficial in many industries and can be produced to perform many functions. For example, concrete is widely used in commercial construction and for municipal projects. The concrete used in these projects may be pre-heated, pre-stressed, and reinforced.
Unfortunately, both the production of the cement used in concrete and the production of concrete are known to produce large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). According to the US Energy Information Administration, cement manufacturers are a significant source of carbon dioxide pollution in the atmosphere. When cement is produced, the limestone feedstock is heated and CO2 is released from the limestone. Cement manufacturers use a significant amount of energy in the cement manufacturing process to heat the limestone feedstock resulting in further CO2 releases and hydrocarbon emissions. Systems and methods are known that have attempted to entrain CO2 in the mixed concrete to reduce the CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Other systems and methods have attempted to use CO2 to strengthen the concrete. However, all of these known systems and methods have drawbacks or problems associated therewith which are addressed in the present disclosure.